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COLORADO <br /> Division of Water Resource's <br /> -AV- <br /> Response to Reclamation Permit Amendment Application Consideration <br /> DATE: February 11, 2019 <br /> TO: Eric C. Scott, Environmental Protection Specialist <br /> CC: Division 1 Office, District 7 Water Commissioner <br /> FROM: loana Comaniciu, P.E. <br /> RE: Ralston Quarry, File No. M-1974-086-AM4 <br /> Operator: Asphalt Paving Company <br /> Contact: Jeff Keller, (303) 996-7222 <br /> Sections 4, 5, and 8, Twp 3 South, Rng 70 West, 6th P.M., Jefferson County <br /> CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL <br /> ® The proposed mining operation does not anticipate exposing groundwater. Therefore, exposure of <br /> ground water must not occur during or after mining operations. <br /> ® The proposed operation may have potential impact on existing water rights near the project location. <br /> The proposed project shall not alter or impact the historic operation of existing water rights. <br /> ® The applicant has indicated plans to use water for the following purposes at the permit site: ® dust <br /> control, ® crushing and screen plant ® asphalt plant <br /> The source of the water for the above uses will be from the Upper Long Lake Reservoir via an existing <br /> purchase agreement. <br /> COMMENTS: The purpose of this amendment is to add 67.2 acres to the existing 271.6 permitted acres. In <br /> addition, the application seeks an amendment to address remediation of a landslide that occurred in 2018. In <br /> 2015 an amendment was approved to set the post mine land use of the site to a water storage reservoir. The <br /> amended permit boundary will encompass a total of 338.8 acres. <br /> The primary commodity to be mined at the site is basalt for construction material. The site is proposed to be <br /> reclaimed to a water storage reservoir and rangeland. <br /> The Denver Water Tunnel located underneath of the permit area carries water from a ditch to the Upper Long <br /> Lake Reservoir located east of the permit area. The proposed mining operation is not expected to directly <br /> affect the Denver Water Tunnel. <br /> Although the mining operation was not anticipated to expose ground water, according to the information in the <br /> DRMS permit file, artesian conditions were observed in a lower area of the quarry floor during a site visit. <br /> Based on a hydrologic analysis performed by Brierley and Associates ("Brierley") it appears that some ground <br /> water was encountered in the Ralston Quarry. However, it is Brierley's opinion that due to the low <br /> permeability of both the basalt and the shale that surrounds the mine site, the quarry mine is considered a <br /> closed hydrologic system and the water table in the quarry is isolated from the regional ground water table. <br /> 1313 Sherman Street, Room 821, Denver, CO 80203 P 303.866.3581 www.colorado.gov/water <br /> Jared Potis, Governor I Dan Gibbs, Executive Director I Kevin G. Rein, State Engineer/Director <br />